Fluid-pressure engine.



Patented Mar. I9, I901;

R. C. BERRY.

FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE.

(Application filed Apr. 25,1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

Patented Mar. l9, l90l.

R. c. BERRY. FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE.

(Application filed Apr. 28, 1900.)

3 Shouts-Shaet 2.

(No Model.)

Patanted Mar. l9, 190i. 8. C. BERRY.

FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE.

(Application filed Apr. 28, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

TH: NORRIS PEYERS co. PHOToLITHmwA5nmaY04,0J1.

' moved.

IJNITED Sparse iPATsr rice.

ROBERT C. BERRY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF FIVE-EIGHTHS TO GEORGE IV. PANGBORN AND JOHN FEIGEN, OF SAME PLACE.

FLUID-PRESSURE ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,095, dated March 19, 1901.

Application filed April 28, 1900. Serial lilo. 14,695. (No model.)

1'?) (UZZ whom it may concern.-

lie it known that I, ROBERT C. BERRY,a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fluid-Pressure Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in steam or fluid-pressure actuated engines; and in this specification and claims whenever I use the term steam I wish it understood that such term includes any expansive fluid, although this my invention is especially applicable to that class of engine which is actuated by the expansive force of steam.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, durable, and compact fluid-pressure engine the working parts of which will-be completely inclosed and concealed; also, to provide asimple and effective means whereby the eccentric by which the slide-valve is reciprocated may be shifted to change the point of cutoff of the slide-valve and whereby the direction of rotation of the engine can be instantaneously reversed; also, to provide means whereby the axis of the trunnion of the steam cylinder or chamber may be moved to either side of the axis of the main or driving shaft at such times as when said piston and its crank stop on either extreme centers or dead-points for the purpose of changing the position of said crank center relative to the cylinder and driving-shaft and permit ting said engine to start. I attain these objects by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which simi lar numerals of reference designate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure l is an elevational view of the engine, showing the reversing-lever and the shifting-handle of the rotative disk by which the position of the axis of the trunnion for supporting the steam cylinder or chamber is changed. Fig. 2 is a detail view of said segment. Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the engine, showing the disk for supporting said cylinder and the steam-chest cover re- Fig. 4 is a diagram view showing the relative positions of the cylinder, drivingshaft, and the crank when on the dead point or center. Fig. 5 is a'sectional elevational view of the engine, taken through the line A B, (see Figs. 1 and 3;) and Fig. 6 is a detail view of the eccentric-ring and the shifting yoke.

The class of engine to which my invention is particularly applicable is of the rotary reciprocating type and consists of an inclosing casing or frame 1, having the integral base 2 and the end-inclosing disk or cover 3. Integral on the casing or frame 1 and central therewith is formed the journal-bearing 4, in which is journaled the main crank-shaft 5, and on the inner or inclosed crank end of said shaft -is firmly secured the crank 6, having the counterbalance-weight 7, and said crank is provided with the crank-pin 8.

The cylinder or steam chamber 9 may be either cylindrical or rectangular in cross-section, preferably the latter, for the purpose of reducing the space between the center of said piston or steam chamber and the crank 6, and said chamber is provided with the reciprocating piston 10, to which is secured thepistonrod 11, which latter accurately fits the rodway 12, formed integral on the end of the chamber 9, and the stub end 13 of said piston-rod 11 is adapted to receive the crankpin 8. Guides 14, between which the stub end 13 fits and slides, are provided for the purpose of relieving said piston-rod 11 from all transverse stress when working.

The rectangular steam or piston chamber 9 is provided with the removable cover 16, which is accurately faced to a true surface and is removably secured to said piston-chamber by the bolts 17, and said cover has the valve-chest 18, the ends of which are open to exhaust formed integral thereon, and is provided with the bearing-face 19 and the flanges 19, bothof which are turned truly to receive the disk cover 20. Said disk cover being truly turned and faced on its edge and inner bearing-surfaces is secured to said valve-chest by suitable bolts 21. The trunnion 22 is bored centrally and longitudinally and is formed central with and integral on said cover-disk 20 and is journaled in the bearing 23, formed integral on the shifting disk cover 3, so that the axis of said trunnion is at right angles with the line of motion of said reciprocating piston 10 and intermediate between the ends of the travel of the latter, or the pivotal center of the said cylinder or chamber 9 is located eccentrically on said cover 3, and therefore is eccentric with the axis of the driving or crank shaft 5, and the extent of the eccentricity of said trunnion or pivotal center of said cylinder or chamber with the axis of said crank-shaft being equal to half the stroke of the piston 10. The main frame or casing 1 is turned or recessed on its side opposite to the main or driving crankshaft-journal end thereof to receive the shifting or rotatable cover 3, and the said annular recess is concentric with the axis of the main or crank shaft 5. The cover 3 is held in said recess by a keepring 24-, which 'is bolted to said casing 1 by the bolts 25.

A slidevalve 26, the central portion of which is chambered to form a steam-receiving chest or chamber, is adapted to slide and to reciprocate on the steam-chest face 18, formed on the cylinder-cover 16 and between the side or inclosing walls thereof to alternately open the ports 26 and 26 to steam and exhaust. The valve 26 is provided with a packing-ring 27, which is fitted in an annular groove formed in the back thereof, and the said ring 27 is provided for the purpose of forming a steam-tight joint between the disk and the back of the slidevalve 26. The steam-pipe 28 passes centrally through the bore of the trunnion 22 and connects with the steam-receiving chamber of the valve 26. The disk 20 is provided with an annular recess adapted to receive the disk 29, which lattcr is formed integral on the innerend of the tubular supporting-stem 30. The tubular supporting-stem 30 is turned truly on its exterior surface to accurately but loosely fit in the bore of the trunnion 22, through which latter it extends, and said stem 30 is also bored truly to accurately but loosely fit over the steam-pipe 28 and form a bearing for the latter. The tubular stem 30 is held in fixed position relatively to the disk 3 by a set-screw 31, which latter is screwed through the reduced portion of the cap-collar 32. The capcollar 32 is provided with an enlarged recess or bell-mouth which receives and laps over the end of the trunnion-journal 23, whereon it is securely held either by being pressed thereon, screwed, or otherwise secured. The disk 29 has a straight recess 33, extending centrally and diametrically across its face, and the longitudinal or guiding edges of said recess are dovetailed to receive the similarlyformed edges of the sliding or eccentric block 33, which accurately fits and slides in said recess. The sliding or eccentric block is cut out at its central portion to permit the steam-pipe 28 to pass therethrough, and on one of the inner longitudinal side portions of said recess are formed gear-teeth 34:,which are adapted to engage the teeth 35, formed on the end of the shifting arm 36. The arm 36 is firmly keyed on the inner end of the steampipe 28, and on the outer end of said tubular shaft or steam-pipe 28 is secured the reversing-lever 37, which latter is provided with a suitable lockinglatch 38, adapted to engage the notches 39, formed in the segment 40, and by which means said lever is held in any desired position relative to said segment. The eccentric-ring 4.1 is secured to the eccentric or sliding block in such a sosition thatits axis or center will be at all times throughout its changes of position eccentric with the axis oi the trunnion 22, and the extent of this eccentricity is equal to the half-travel of the slide-valve at mid-gear when the sliding block 33 is in its mid-position. When it is required to either increase or diminish the eccentricity of the eccentric-ring 41, and consequently the travel of the slide-valve 2b, foreither a later or an earlier period of out-olf of the steam, the slide'block and its eccentric-wing 41, secured thereto, is moved in a straight line by means of the reversingflever 37, and when it is required the engine the said eccentricring or eccentric 41 is moved till it occupies a position on the opposing side of the axisof the trunnion 22as, for example, the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. [3. The eccentric-yoke 42 is bored out truly to receive the eccentric-ring 41 and is faced truly at its edges to fit the yoke-receiving recess formed in the slide-valve 26, which latter recess is made of sufficient length to permit the free and full travel of the said yoke. (See Fig.

The axis or center of the hub 4-3 of the segment is bored to receive the journal-bearing 23 and is firmly secured thereon to turn with the disk-cover 3 by a set-screw 44. Integral on the segment 40 is formed the handle 4:5, by means of which the said segment and the cover 3 are turned to move the pivotal axis of the cylinder 9 to either side of the driving or crank shaft 5, and which mechanism will be hereinafter referred to. A spring latch or catch 46 extends through the handle and is adapted to engage the stopnotch 47, formed in the central portion of the bar 48. The bar 48 is rigidly secured to the casing 1 of the engine at its ends by suitable bolts 49.

The operation of the engine is as follows: Steam is first admitted into the innerchamber portion of the slide-valve 26 by means oi the steam or eccentric shitting shaft 28, thence through the end port 26i11to the steam chamber or cylinder 9 to move the piston 10 to the opposite end of said cylinder or chamber in the direction of the arrow (1, and thereby cause the crank to rotate either in a righthand or a left-hand direction, according as the position of the eccentric 41 is set for a right-hand ora left-hand rotation of the driving-shaft. In this case suppose, for example, theengine is rotatingin a right-hand direction. Then while the piston 10 traverses in the direction of the arrow at the crank 8 is caused to move in the direction shown by the arrow 6, from the position 2 to the position 3 thence to the position 4 at which position the valve 26 is moving in a direction to close the port 26 to steam and to open it to exhaust and at the same time to open the opposite port 26 to steam till finally the crank-pin 8 arrives at the position 5 at which position the piston has reached the end of its-stroke and the end port 26 is now open to admit live steam to the opposite end of the cylinder 9 to cause the said piston 10 to travel in the opposite direction and to continue to apply power to said crank 8 throughout the remaining portion of its path of revolution. The steam is exhausted through the open ends of the steam-chest into the casing 1 and escapes into the atmosphere through the exhaust-pipe 50. The steam cylinder or chamher 9 rotates with and necessarily must make the same revolutions as the crank S, with which it is connected and which motion needs not be particularly described and traced throughout its path, as the same can be clearly understood by an inspection of Figs. 1 and 3. It will be observed that the position of the eccentric t1 may he changed by means of the reversing-lever 37, which is secured on the tubular eccentric shifting shaft or steam-pipe 28, and by this lever said shaft is turned to cause a change of position of the eccentric 41 to reverse the engine or to change the points of cut-off, (see particularly Fig. 6, showing said eccentric in full and dotted lines, as hereinhefore described,) and these changes of position of said eccentric may be readily accomplished while the engine is either in motion or at rest Without injury to the Working parts of the engine. When single-cylinder reciprocating engines stop at their dead-centersthat is, in such position that the longitudinal center line of the piston-rod 11 the center of the crank 8, and the center of the driving-shaft 5 fall in lineit becomes necessary to rotate the driving-shaft till the deadcenteris passed. Toavoid this inconvenience,

I provide a new means whereby the crank 8 rows cand d) by means of the lever to swing.

the center of the trunnion 22 of the cylinder 9 into position on either side of the drivingshatt 5-as, for instance, the position indicated by broken lines in Fig. at. It will be observed that the reversing-lever 37 when placed in position for right-hand rotation. is held in its relative position to the segment 40 and undergoes no change whatever by reason of the movement of the disk 3, and if it is required to reverse the motion of the engine the position of the eccentric 41 can only be changed for such change of motion by the reversing-lever 37.

Having thus fully described this my in vention, hat Iclaim as new and useful, and desire to cover by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is-

1. In a fluid-pressure engine, the combination with a steam-cylinder pivot-ally mounted, and its reciprocating piston, of a crank-shaft opposite to said cylinder and having its axis eccentric with the pivotal center of the latter, said piston connected directly to said crank-shaft, and said cylinder having its pivotal center adjnsrably mounted relatively to said crank-shaft.

2. In a fluid-pressure engine, the combination with a double acting steam -.cylinder mounted to rotate on a transverse axis, a reciprocating piston, means for alternately supplying the steam to the opposite ends of said cylinderand exhausting it therefrom, a crankshaft opposite to and eccentric with the transverse axis of said cylinder, and means for connecting said piston directly to said crankshaft, of means for supporting said rotative center of said cylinder whereby said center may be rotated in a path concentric with the axis of said crank-shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a fluid-pressure engine, the combination with a double acting steam cylinder mounted to rotate on a transverse axis,means for alternately supplying the steam to the oppositeends of said cylinder and exhausting it therefrom, an opposing crank-shaft eccentric with the transverse axis of said cylinder, a reciprocating piston connected directly to said crank-shaft, of means whereby the relative positions of the pivotal center-of said cylinder and the axis of the crank-shaft may be changed either while the latter is in motion or at rest and independently of the steamdistributing mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a fluid-pressu re engine, the combination with a cylinder, a piston adapted to reciprocate in said cylinder, a valve-chest on said cylinder and having both its ends open to exhaust, and having ports connecting said valve-chest and the opposite ends of said cylinder, of a valve accurately fitted in said valve-chest and adapted to reciprocate therein, said valve having a central steam-receiving chamber, a trunnion on said steam-chest or valve-chest, suitable trunnion-bearings, and a steam-pipe passing centrally through said trunnion and connecting the said valvechamber, a non-rotative eccentricwithin said valve-chamber, a fixed tube surrounding said steam-pipe between said trunnion and the latter and whereby the said eccentric is supported, a crank-shaft opposite to and eccentric with said trunnion, and means for directly connecting said piston and said crankshaft to transmit rotative' motion thereto.

5. In a fluid-pressure engine, the combination with a cylinder, a piston, adapted to reciprocate in said cylinder, a valve-chest on said cylinder and having both its ends open ICC) to exhaust and having ports connecting said valve-chest and the opposite ends of said cylinder, of a valve accurately fitted and adapted to reciprocate therein,said valve having a cen tral steanrreeeiving chamber, a trunnion on said valve or stean1-chest,a suitable trunnionbearing, a steam pipe passing centrally through said trunnion and connecting the steam-receiving chamber of said valve, a non rotating 'alveoperating eccentric or ring, a chambered eccentric-block, fixed guideways wherein said eccentric-block is adapted to slide, means for supporting said ways, and for shifting said eccentric-block to change the travel of said slide-valve, a crankshaft opposite to and eccentric with said trunnion,and

' means for directly connecting said piston and said crank-shaft to transmit rotary motion thereto.

6. In a fluid-pressure engine, the combination with a cylinder, a piston adapted to reciprocate in said cylinder, a valve-chest on said cylinder and having both its ends open to exhaust and ports connecting said valvechest and the opposite ends of said cylinder, of a valve accurately fitted and adapted to reciprocate therein, said valve having a central steam-receiving chamber, a trunnion on passing centrally through said trunnion and connecting the steam-receiving chamber of said valve, a non-rotative eccentric-ring, an eccentric-block, fixed ways wherein said eccentric-block is supported and adapted to slide, a fixed tube connected to said guides and extending through said trunnion between said steam-pipe and the former, means for securing said tube to the fixed bearing of said trunnion, a rack in said eccentric-block, a toothed arm on the inner end of said steampipe meshing with said rack, means for rotating said steam-pipe, to shift said eccentric and for retaining the same in any fixed position, a crank-shaft opposite to and eccentric with said trunnion, and means for directly connecting said piston to said cran k-shaft to transmit rotative motion thereto.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT C. BERRY.

Vitnesses:

THoMPsoN R. BELL, WM. 0. MOREK. 

